Airplane wing



F. KAUTZ AIRPLANE WING I June 4, 1929.

Filed March 9, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 gvwentoz Frederlcfl 15 01112 F. KAUTZ AIRPLANE WING June 4, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 9, 1927 Patented June/4, 192 9. I

UNITED STATES [1,71 ,314 PATENT OFFICE.

' FREDERICK lKA'UTZ, OF READING, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JOSEPH FEICHT, OF READING, PENNSYLVANIA. I

AIRPLANE 'w s.

Application filed March 9, 1927-. ser i'a mi. 173,845.

This inventionlrelates to airplanes. and more particularly to the wings thereof.

It has been found that planes of the speedier type are hardest to control While they are rising or descending due to the1r short wing spread.

The small spread deducts from the buoyancy ofthe craft making it difiicult to control and'hence dangerous to any flyer other than a thoroughly experienced one.

If the wings were enlarge'ned, in this type of plane, speed and quick motion, which is absolutely essential to a pursuit plane, would have to be sacrified.

It is therefore the main object of this invention to provide means whereby the wing spread 'of the small crafts, namely monoplane and bi-plane, may be increased or decreased as the occasion demands, that is, while ascending or descending and the latter while travelling at a definite altitude.

, A further aim is in the provisi'o'n' of an easy control, within the reach of the aviator,

to accomplishthe above purposes.

These and other objects, which will become apparent as the description progresses,

, are attained by the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts,.hereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming a material .1n

' an enlarged scale.

Figure 4 1s a front elevational View of the'plane, the wings being in the same position as in Figure 2.

Figure 5 is'a longitudinal sectionalview showing the Wing spread control in detail and drawn to an increased scale.

Figure 6 is a sectional view taken on line 6- 6 of, and at a right angle to F igure 5 Figure 7 is a top plan view of a bi-plane provided with an embodiment of the invention,-shown in dash lines as contracted andin dot-dash lines as extended. 4

Figure 8 is a front elevational view of the same.

In the drawings, the numeral 10 'genv erally designates a conventional air-plane body of the'mono or bi-plane type, having the usual rear wings 11, propeller 12 and landing wheels 13.

In Figures 1 to 6 inclusive, the body "10 is provided with outwardly directed, diagonal struts 14 on which is supported, above the body, an outer wing 15 having alongitudinal recess 16 extending therethrough and following the outercontour er the wing.

The wing is provided with""ant i-friction. er and lower v walls respectively interme late which is slidable a. pair of-extensible wing sections 19 bearing 17-and 18 on its u rear of the pinion and extending inwardly from the sections 19 and the pinion 24 engaging racks 27 and 28 similarly positioned.

Fixed on the end of the shaft 21, in" a position easily accessible to the pilot is a crank handle 29 by which the racks are actuated, the racks being guided in cross bars 30 fixed in the recess 16 between the upper and lower walls of the wing 15, and receivable in recesses 31 formed 1n the inner'ends of the sec-' tions 19 so as to permit complete retraction.

with I Thus, by revolving the handle 29 the i pinion-23 and 24 will cause the racks 25, p 26, 27 and 28 to niove iriwardly or outwardly, thereby increasing*or'decreasing the/spread of the wings 19 as the occasion may arise.- In Figures 7 and 8, a bi-plane is illustrated having its upper wing 30 supported on Y struts 31, the lower ends of which are seto the wing 15 and in which is operable, wing sections 19, the mechanism being the cured to an outer wing casing 15 similar same as above described and the wings 19 forming the lower plane of the craft.

Thus it may be seen that a device has been disclosed, adapted for use with crafts of the monoand bi-plane type, whereby ascending and descending is improved and the dangers connected therewith reduced by giving t e plane more buoyancy and balance.

I tured at alow cost.

Although the foregoing is des'criptive of the preferred embodimex t of my invention, it is to be understood/ be made in si'zes,'proportions,shapes, etc., without the exercise of invention and within the meaning of the claim.ap'pended hereto. Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is z-- 1 In an airplane, a hollow outer wing, an

that changes mayinner solid wing of reduced like section slidable therein, grooved metal plates mount ed on the inner surfaces of the outer wing,

ballibearings positioned in the groovesin the plates and contacting the inner wing,

set screws threaded in the outer wing, and

bearing against the plates to adjust the ball bearings against the inner wings, and rack and pinion means to move the inner wing longitudinally in the outer wing.

In witness whereof I have afiixed my signature;

FREDERICK KAUTZ. 

